SANTA ANITA : Akinemod Favored to Win $200,000 La Canada Stakes

A field of six headed by Akinemod and Gorgeous has been entered in Saturday’s $200,000-added La Canada Stakes at Santa Anita.

Gorgeous will be ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye and was assigned 125 pounds for the 16th running of the 1 1/8-mile race for 4-year-old fillies. Akinemod will be ridden by Gary Stevens and was assigned 122 pounds.

Others entered were Luthier’s Launch, who will be ridden by Alex Solis and was assigned 117 pounds; Lucky Song, Robbie Davis, 117 pounds; Excellent Lady, Chris McCarron, 115 pounds, and Kelly, Patrick Valenzuela, 114 pounds.

If all six entries go to the post, the total purse will be $213,500 and the winner will earn $123,500.

Akinemod has won six straight races, including the La Brea Breeders’ Cup and El Encino Stakes in her last two starts. She won the El Encino by 18 lengths.

Gorgeous was scratched from the El Encino because of an off track. She hasn’t raced since finishing second behind Bayakoa in the Breeders’ Cup Distaff in November.

A victory in the La Canada race will enable Akinemod to become the third filly to sweep the La Canada Series, joining Taisez Vous (1978) and Mitterand (1985). The first two races of the series were the La Brea Breeders’ Cup and El Encino Stakes.

The La Canada Stakes will be run as the eighth race Saturday.

In the fifth race of the day, the $100,000-added Legend’s Last Ride, Bill Shoemaker will be aboard Patchy Groundfog in the final race of his illustrious career.

On Thursday night, Hot Operator, making his first start in more than four months, overtook 9-10 favorite Tanker Port in the late going to win the $60,000 feature race at Santa Anita by 1 3/4 lengths before a crowd of 12,833.

Hot Operator, ridden by Chris McCarron and carrying 115 pounds, covered one mile in 1:37.40 and paid $6.40, $2.40 and $2.20.

The win was the fifth in 16 lifetime starts for Hot Operator and was worth $33,000, raising the 5-year-old Florida-bred son of Well Decorated’s career earnings to $258,550.

Tanker Port, ridden by Robbie Davis and carrying 117 pounds, crossed the finish line one length in front of Captain Holly and returned $2.20 and $2.20.

Captain Holly, ridden by Eddie Delahoussaye and carrying 116 pounds, was a half-length ahead of Charlatan at the wire and paid $2.40 to show.

Complete charts in Section C.